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Friday, March 31, 2017

TV Review: Iron Fist


Hello Enthusiasts,

Today I will be reviewing the next installment in Netflix's Marvel line-up, Iron Fist. As a head's up, as usual, there will be some potential Spoilers Below.

This show, as you can likely tell by the title, follows the Marvel hero Iron Fist (aka Daniel Rand, played by Finn Jones). Danny was the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed his parents. He was rescued by two warrior monks, who brought him back to be raised in a monastery in the Himalayan mountains. Here, Danny was trained in various forms of martial arts, and was eventually chosen to wield the powerful Iron Fist. His task was to remain at the monastery and use the Iron Fist to protect it from The Hand, but Danny decided to go back to New York instead, where he finds a more sinister plot at play...one that involves a whole lot of heroine. While he works to follow the leads that this new heroine presents, he is also trying to get back into his life and his parent's company. With very few friends and a lot of enemies, both of Danny's objectives prove to be difficult to accomplish.

This show was panned by critics, who have basically labeled the show as uninteresting. However, fan reaction is quite different. The show has a solid rating on Netflix from the fans, and has been getting some approval from the regular viewers. Iron Fist is one of those experiences that has a 17% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but an 81% from fans on the very same site. It certainly starts off slow, but that's not unheard of with these Marvel shows (see Jessica Jones). It also doesn't have a great villain, much like the issue that you would see with Luke Cage. I have also heard it said that Finn Jones' character seems out of place and off-beat. I can't stand that last argument, as Danny has been fighting in a monastery since he was a child, so it would be more strange if he entered New York as cool as Tony Stark. I also feel that critics saw that this was going to be a show focused on fighting and thought they were in for another Daredevil. I don't feel that's fair to Iron Fist, considering the show needed to spend more time explaining who Iron Fist is than Daredevil needed to (Daredevil did already have his own movie that a lot of people saw, even if it wasn't great). This show knew that it would need to bring some people in who knew nothing about the character, get them up to speed, show them some solid fights, and prepare the character for the upcoming Defenders show.

With all of that being said, what are the positives to this show? Well, the fights may not be as gritty as you'll see in Daredevil, but they certainly aren't bad either. I enjoyed watching the various fighting scenes, both with Danny Rand as well as those including his love interest in the show, Colleen Wing. They are well choreographed, and they do something that Luke Cage wasn't able to do as well, show more of our hero's vulnerabilities. The show also works well in confusing the viewer about who to trust, though not to the point where it gets annoying or anything. I have seen better twists, but the ones in this show hold up well. The supporting actors do a great job in this show, with a few coming back from previous Marvel-Netflix shows to reprise their roles. Character's like Harold Meachum and  Davos are appropriately portrayed for their roles here.

Overall, I liked this show. It isn't my favorite of the Marvel-Netflix shows, but it certainly holds its own and establishes Iron Fist as a solid character. The unfortunate truth is that this show is competing with all of the other Defender's seasons, and so there is a lot of expectation going in. Even with that though, I still suggest giving this show a watch, you may be very surprised if you were believing the critics and their terrible reviews.

I give Netflix's Iron Fist a 6 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Movie Review: Necessary Evil - Super-Villains of DC Comics

The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me
Hello Enthusiasts,

I do deviate from video games and books from time to time, hence some previous posts like 5 completed shows to watch and my review of Mike Birbiglia's "Sleepwalk With Me". So today I would like to touch on another movie, this one being a documentary that lines up with some of my more posted-about interests. Today I will be reviewing Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics. 

So, to start, this film ended up being a little different than I thought it would be when I went into it. I started watching this thinking it would be more along the lines of generally unknown facts about these villains and inspirations behind them, and to be fair, there is some of that in here. However, the main focus of this documentary is actually the psychology behind having villains, what they mean to the heroes, and some insight to why certain heroes have certain types of villains. Some of this ends up being very simple, like, "What purpose does the hero have if there isn't a villain to fight", which is a pretty basic concept. However, at some points you will get some great information or insights from some believable sources,such as those involved with the creation of these comics, movies, and TV shows. This film has speakers like Jim Lee, Geoff Johns, Scott Snyder, and others, meaning that just about all of the guests speaking are incredibly talented and creative individuals. 

So what are the positives to this film overall? Well, like I mentioned, the people speaking in the documentary is a big draw. It adds to the credibility of what is being said a bit, knowing that it's the folks writing and illustrating these comics that are providing the information. Add to that the fact that the film is being narrated by the late-great Christopher Lee, and you have yourself an amazing cast to work with a project like this. Also, as I had mentioned earlier, there are certain times in the film that dive more into the inspirations of some of the villains and facts behind them. I love bits like these, showing some additional insight into the characters you were sure you already knew inside and out. Even though the film takes on several topics within the realm of "Necessary Evil, it is also pretty concise, coming in around an hour and a half, which isn't bad at all.

The only downside I can really think of are those more basic concepts I mentioned earlier. We get a decent amount of them in this feature, and I would start to lose a bit of interest when the speakers would dwell on why villains are important and required for the story. I understand that what is being said is true and is interesting, but it just feels like it's being approached on a very base level, and for a bit too long. While this may seem a little picky, the amount of times they revert back to the more basic concepts of light needing darkness and the inevitability of the villain is noticeable. I honestly think that if some of this was cut out, even though the movie would have ended up being a good 20 minutes shorter, it would have ranked a bit higher.

This documentary has several good components to it, enough to make viewing it an enjoyable experience, but it isn't perfect. They did what they were trying to do well, really driving home a lot of ideas and information, all of which was being told by great sources. Despite my issues with some of the more basic concepts, this is a solid film to watch if you have any interest in the villains if the DC universe.

I give Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics a 8 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast 

Monday, March 13, 2017

Game Review: Deus Ex - Mankind Divided

The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me
Hello Enthusiasts,

Sequels can be a strange thing in all forms of media. I'm sure you can easily think of a few games or movies where the sequel didn't live up to the first game, and I'm sure there are other series you can think of where the opposite can be said about the later installments. Today I will be reviewing the newest installation in the Deus Ex series, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

This title takes place two years after the events of the previous title, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which has changed the world considerably. Because the previous game ended with all (but one) of the augmented people of the world becoming super-violent, they are now seen as second-class citizens. They have to go through hard checkpoints and are frequently subject to "accidents" involving the police. It's a tense, stressful environment that will have you a little on edge as you walk around. You still play as Adam Jensen, though you are now working as an agent for Interpol (also, secretly, a hacker organization call Juggernaut). Adam also starts to experience some technical difficulties, and when he is reset he discovers several hidden augmentations to unlock. As the story progresses you discover what appears to be a conspiracy to frame a pro-aug organization for terrorist attacks. So if becomes a race against the clock to find the real culprits.

So this game does improve on a lot of aspects of the previous game, especially in the area of versatility. A problem I found with the last game was that you were forced to play in the style that you chose, but it was difficult to change to another as you progressed. If you were trying for stealth, you better hope you don't get seen, because you didn't have enough points to also upgrade your offensive capabilities. This game has a wider spread and seems to offer more points, allowing a player to upgrade for multiple options. The graphics are, of course, upgraded, and the open city offers a lot to look at. It does feel like a lot of the city is open to explore (as long as you have upgraded your hacking skills), and most of the areas have something to offer. The augmentations themselves are excellent as well, with each upgrade noticeably changing the gameplay and how you will approach situations.

Despite the improvements, there are a couple of negatives. The loading can take some time, and the scenes will noticeably repeat themselves over and over. It isn't nearly as bad as XCOM 2, but it is still a good wait for loading. The conversations can be tedious as well, especially when you know it's going to eventually lead to a good action scene. There also a social augmentation that you can use points on that allow you to read the other person and speak appropriately to their personality type, but it's a strange system that isn't fully explained. I ended up looking online for assistance, which did help a lot, and it certainly isn't a bad system itself, they just kind of throw you into it though.

Overall, this game is a lot of fun and incredibly engaging. It can be difficult, but not to the point where you won't want to play. It feels a lot more polished and balanced than the previous title, and it will be hard to put down. Despite the problem of some serious load times, it is still worth the purchase.

I give Deus Ex: Mankind Divided a 9 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Game Review: XCOM 2

The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me

Hello Enthusiasts,

Today I will be reviewing a game that was released on consoles last year, XCOM 2. This game is a sequel to XCOM: Enemy Unknown (or the improved version of the game, XCOM: Enemy Within). As always, please keep in mind that there may be some Spoilers Below. 

This game takes place several years after the events of the last game. As it turns out, even though the XCOM team was able to defeat the original alien invasion, the Earth was still lost, since they were just fighting the first wave of many. Now, XCOM is a resistance force that isn't publicly supported as they once were. The humans have embraced the aliens as their masters, and the aliens act as though they are here to make our lives better (and apparently the population has forgotten everything the aliens did during their initial invasion). Now it's up to the XCOM team to resist the aliens, along with settlements around the world, before it's too late.

This is a great game, a whole lot of fun, but my God is it difficult. Don't get me wrong, that's a good thing, I would be furious if this game was easy, but sweet Christmas is this game going to beat you to a pulp. It is, without a doubt, the most difficult strategy game I have ever played. It takes everything that was difficult from the previous game and kicks it into high gear. You will face giant swarms of enemies, sometimes against groups that are twice as large as yours (just in one section of the level). The AI is also a lot smarter in this game, going after your strongest members instead of the closest or most vulnerable. I used to always bring a rookie to bait the aliens with (sometimes they would survive), but now the aliens won't give them the time of day if they can see my other, stronger characters. Soldiers stay wounded longer, funds and resources are more difficult to come by, and you are really racing against a countdown to defeat the aliens. It is unforgiving. With that being said though, you have been given a few advantages on your side as well. You will start almost every level concealed, which helps you to set up an ambush. Your support character now has a drone that can heal or assist teammates who the character wouldn't be able to reach by running, and the shot-gunner now has a very effective sword they wield as well. One of my favorite additions is for the sniper, who can fire upon any aliens on the map that other characters can see (as long as it's a clear shot), giving them an incredible range. Still though, these boosts don't ever make it feel like you're in charge of the situation, it is always an up hill battle. It is a stressful game to say the least, but despite all of that I still found myself saying "just one more mission" every time I thought I should wrap it up. If you enjoy strategy games, this is one to put you to the test. For the truly insane, the game also offers an "Iron Man" mode, where you will be unable to load previous save files, saving is just for when you have to turn the game.

Outside of the changes in difficulty, there are a few other updates. The graphics are a lot better than the last game, there is a lot more variety when customizing your troops, and there are more options on how to pass time while the next mission approaches. You can use that time to collect resources, heal troops, unlock new areas, and the list goes on. While it is nice to have these options, it only makes the game more difficult, since this is the type of game where every action has a consequence. Collecting resources to buy new weapons and armor is great, but now this mission popped up and you have only one experienced soldier to carry it out since the rest of them are still wounded. Meanwhile, if you spend your time speeding up your soldier's recovery, they are likely going to end up in the same condition after the battle since you don't have any new equipment to assist them. Plus, you need to keep unlocking areas if you don't want to lose the entire game. There is also a wider variety of enemies in this game, though some of the aliens are just upgraded versions of the same enemies from the previous game. None of them are easy targets though, with even the most basic grunt being able to make a situation more challenging.

I think the only negative things for me lie more in the performance of the game rather than its design. The loading and reloading screens will take a good amount of time, with my highest wait time being almost 5 minutes. I found that I was keeping a comic book on standby to read while I waited for the load screens to pass, something that probably wasn't intended. The maps can also take a moment for the details to kick in once you move to see more of it. This doesn't end up changing the gameplay at all, it's just a cosmetic issue that can take you out of an otherwise totally immersive game for a moment. It will also take a moment sometimes for your characters to load up when you are going to customize them, but it's not more than 10 or 12 seconds at most. Outside of some delays in loading though, this game didn't have any faults as far as I could see.

Overall, this game is excellent, showing the world what a good sequel should be. It improves on everything that people had complained about in the previous game, plus some. The only thing keeping it from a perfect score is somewhat unreasonable loading times, but that shouldn't deter you from making the purchase. It can seem unfairly difficult at times, but only to the extent that you are now a small faction fighting a large ruler, so of course they can constantly bring in reinforcements. If you are looking for a game that you can breeze through in one run, stay away from this title. But if you are looking for a real challenge that will have you reloading the same mission over and over to try to not have everyone die, this is the title for you. It was certainly a great one for me. To be honest though, some of those trophies/achievements are ridiculous, take a look at them some time to laugh at the thought of even trying to get them all.

I give XCOM 2 a 9.5 out of 10

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Retro Game Review: X-Men Legends 2 - Rise of Apocalypse

The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me

Hello Enthusiasts,

Today I will be reviewing the sequel to X-Men Legends, titled X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse. This title was released in 2005 on the same systems as the previous game. If you didn't get a chance to check out my review of the first game, you can find it here. Of course, there may be some Spoilers Below. 

This game takes place some time after the first one and opens with the X-Men and the Brotherhood rescuing Xavier from a heavily guarded facility. They also went there to rescue Polaris, but she wasn't found there. How were these two teams thrown together? Well, the answer is in the title, Apocalypse has begun his plan to take over the world, and his first target was the mutant have country of Genosha. As it turns out, Apocalypse is capturing several mutants that have "Harmonic DNA", which are needed for some machine that will give him even more power. The teams begin here and move though a few different locations to stop Apocalypse and save the mutants that have been captured by him. Other than some details, that is pretty much it for the story, it's a pretty easy synopsis.

In terms of game play, it is very similar to the previous game. You control a team of four mutants, some of which have the ability to fly, put out fires, pick up larger objects, etc. Each mutant can use one of a few different powers that drain their mutant energy. Destroying objects in the world grants items such as health packs, energy packs, armor, and currency, all of which are useful in their own way.More so than the last game, this one rewards you for sticking with the same characters throughout. In the last game, characters you weren't using would essentially be brought up to speed with a number of upgrade points equal to the average of what they should have for that part of the game. This game doesn't do that as much, meaning that you will end up using pretty much the same team the entire time.

What works for this game? Well, it does have better graphics than the last one did, both in-game and during the cutscenes.  The enemies are more detailed as well, especially in the more monster-like ones. The voice acting is as well done as the previous title, which is to say that it fits well. There are also more areas to upgrade and the active powers of each mutant can be changed, leading to more control of each individual character. I thought this was a positive change, as I was able to balance my team out a bit more, making some mutants carry more of a support role while others would go in as power houses. Most of the positives carry over from the first game as well, such as the difficulty, since this still isn't as easy a game as one might think when they first see it. Health is lost fast, and energy is depleted even faster. Enemies just keep getting stronger, and it never feels like you're so powerful that you breeze through the missions (unless you are replaying older missions). The game is more fun when playing with others, but that's not to say it's a bad game when playing solo. Still, I suggest getting a friend to play through the story with you.Finally, even though it makes it easier and I enjoy a bit of difficulty, I like the addition of Blink in the game, who can teleport you from the middle of a level back to the home base and the portal will stay open for you to use on a return. This is great in that it means you can stop to return to base and save at any given time.

This game did improve in some areas, but not all of them. An issue I have with this title is that, even though there are two teams, the game has the same amount of playable characters. I would have thought that there would have been more , but the game instead removes the ability to play as Emma Frost, Beast, Psylock, Jubilee, and Magma instead of keeping them and adding the others like Magento and Juggernaut. While the maps were more detailed, there were fewer locations than the last game as well, and the lack of diversity is noticed. The game instead has several long missions in the same areas like the Savage Lands, rather than each mission being in different locations. Speaking of a lack of diversity, because of how the upgrade system changed, you won't be unlocking new characters as you play, instead you get all of your characters up front. While the number of characters ends up being the same, this makes it feel like less, since I'm not getting anything new as I play through.

Overall, this was a good follow-up to the first game in the series. It doesn't feel like it does as much as the first game, but it does well with what it has. I would say that this can be a good game to play if you have a friend and a decent game to play if you're on your own. If you enjoyed the first game, pick this one up. If you didn't like the first one, you probably won't like this one either. And if you're new to the series, you can start with this one instead of the first one and you would be fine.

I give X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse a 7 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Mobile Game Review: Fire Emblem - Heroes

The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me
Hello Enthusiasts,

It seems that the games I've been playing as I recover from Christmas spending seem to be ones that I already have or ones that are free for me to get. With that being said, today I will be reviewing a fairly new free-to-play mobile game by Nintendo, Fire Emblem: Heroes. 

This title ties in with other Fire Emblem all of the other games in the franchise (full disclosure, I haven't played them all, but this is what my research suggests). You play as (your name here), a summoner who can summon any heroes from any of the previous Fire Emblem games, though you don't get to choose who you summon. Unlike some games of the past, your character isn't actually in the game as a fighter, instead playing the background role of tactician.  The story revolves around a group of heroes that assist in guarding the various realms within the Fire Emblem universe, such as the "World of Mystery" and the "World of Awakening". As anyone who has played the games before will recognize, each world is a different Fire Emblem game, and each one includes specific characters from those games. There is, of course, a threat to the order and these worlds, one who is able to have each world's heroes fight for her. To do this she doesn't use mind control or blackmail, but instead tricks them into being bound by contracts that require them to fight for her until they encounter a hero too strong to handle. I am not mentioning the name of this villain, because there isn't a whole lot of story here for a Fire Emblem game and I don't want to spoil everything (which is also why I won't mention her motivations at all).

As you move through and save the various worlds you have a team of four that you fight with. You will, of course, unlock a lot of additional heroes, but a team will only consist of four of them. Each one level's up individually, and the stats from leveling up are raised automatically rather than allowing the player to upgrade the stats manually. There are four main types of heroes, which are assigned different colors and has different strengths or weaknesses:

Red - Strong against green, weak against blue, generally armed with swords or magic

Green - Strong against blue, weak against red, generally armed with axes or magic

Blue - Strong against red, weak against green, generally armed with lances or magic

Grey - no strengths or weaknesses, generally armed with bows or magic staffs

So any characters armed with magic or bows are ranged, so they cannot attack or counter if they are adjacent to their target/attacker. This does add to the tactics and planning, as they can attack through walls or trees, so attacking close characters through an obstacle with one of these characters is ideal. This game is not as punishing as other titles in the series, as deaths are not permanent, but that is sort of expected with it being a mobile game. What can be difficult though is building experience. Even though character deaths aren't permanent, a character who dies on a level will not receive any of the benefits they earned while they were alive on that stage. This even applies if one of your characters levels up from building XP, so it is still in your best interest not to play too haphazardly.

There are some strong positives to this one, one of which is the strict nostalgia that comes with seeing so many characters from previous titles that you love. I was thrilled when I unlocked Robin and he was immediately placed onto my team. The movement and fighting is pretty simple, and the game gives you the outcome of an individual battle before you engage in it. However, the game does nothing to warn you that moving you character to a particular spot may be a bad idea outside of that single battle, such as being in range of other characters that can take yours down. This means that, while some areas have been made easier, others have still held some difficulty. Another big positive for me is that Nintendo has announced that, at least for a while, there will be updates to this game released every other week. This is great news, since the main story of the game isn't too long (although each level has normal, hard, and lunatic difficulties that you can play on). A huge positive for me is that this is, indeed, a FREE game; money is not required to win and I have not yet felt like I was at a disadvantage for not pouring cash into the game. This ties heavily into the fact that even the best and more rare characters will still start out at level one. While they are more powerful than other level one characters, they still can't complete with characters that have spent a lot of time in battle and obtained a mountain of XP.

The game isn't perfect though, and I feel like a good amount of that comes from something I've mentioned a few times already, the difficulty. Fire Emblem games have been, traditionally, pretty unforgiving. If a hero dies, they are dead. If you make a wrong move, recovering can be a task. This game goes as far as allowing players to revive all of their characters in a battle if the last one falls by using one summoning orb. It takes anywhere from three to five orbs to summon a new character, but it takes just one to revive your whole team. The maps are also pretty small, and you will sometimes start out a match with all of your characters stuck in a hallway-like area with only one exit, so you are basically lining up for battle instead of working to gain a tactical advantage. Also, even though there will be those updates I mentioned before, the short main story included at release is noticeably short, even for a mobile game.

Despite any issues I have with this game, this title really is a testament to the types of games that be one mobile devices now. This game wouldn't be worth the price of a new console title, but it is better than it should be for free (don't tell Nintendo). If you have a smart phone and enjoy strategy games, I would recommend this title. It may not be the most challenging game, but for a mobile game, it more than pulls its own wait.

I give Fire Emblem: Heroes an 8 out of 10

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast


Thursday, February 2, 2017

Game Review: Mirror's Edge - Catalyst

The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me
Hello Enthusiasts,

Today's review is going to be on the sequel to the 2008 title, Mirror's Edge. The sequel to be reviewed, Mirror's Edge: Catalyst, was released in 2016, and is actually a prequel. As a head's up, as always, there will be some Spoilers Below.

So as mentioned, this title is a prequel to the original game. It still revolves around the same main character, Faith, and looks a little closer to her origins. The game isn't the origin of her being a runner in the city, though it does show some of that in cut-scenes. This is looking more at how she got herself in the position that she was in during the original game. The story opens up with Faith being released from prison, where she presumably been for some time. She immediately reunites with her old friends and colleagues, who are other runners. Runners are the couriers (and thieves) of the city. They are openly hated by the city, though the police generally turn a blind eye to them if they aren't currently committing a crime, despite knowing that most runners they see are probably criminals. That all changes in this game, when Faith steals something that she shouldn't have, and from then on the entire city seems to have turned against her and the other runners. All of this is stacked on top of the fact that Faith owes a series debt when she is released from prison and is working to get that paid off, and you have a pretty stressful experience.

The game still focuses heavily on parkour, although this game is actually a free-roam type of game instead of the more restricted level design that the original game had. This means that there are a lot more in terms of side missions and allows a player to get very familiar with parts of the city that they run through frequently. There are a few different gadgets that Faith gets in this game to help out as well, such as a grappling hook and a device hat can disrupt some electronics (like fan blades that block pipe entrances). There is more of a focus on fighting in this game then there was in the last one, though they have taken the entire element of firearms out of this title. There are different types of enemies now, and each one requires a slightly different approach in order to take them down.

This game did certainly improve on a few things from the last title. The running feels as smooth as ever, and the addition of running free throughout the city really capitalizes on this. Running, jumping, and sliding across a city has never felt so satisfying. It's also great having side missions like courier objectives and beating the running challenge that other players have posted to hone your skills. There are still puzzles to solve involving performing specific moves, but they are a little easier to figure out. While I am normally all for more difficult games, the puzzles from the last game brought the fast-paced game to a halt and ruined the experience a little, so I'm glad that the puzzles have been streamlined a little. The difficulty was instead shifted to evading/fighting enemies, which can be a task as the game goes on. With that, it's all about keeping up your movement and momentum in order to win; stop moving and you will stop living. The upgrade system has its merits in that none of the upgrades feel useless like you sometimes see with other games. All of the upgrades can really change the way the game is played and I found myself looking forward to each one of them to make things a little easier (and different). The controls can be a little difficult to get the hang of, but that doesn't mean they're bad, just different. Once you get used to the control scheme, it actually feels pretty natural. Part of this could be the elimination of the firearms, which I was all for, since they didn't feel like they belonged in the last game at all.

The game does have its flaws though, despite the improvements that it makes. I didn't like that there is a greater focus on the fighting, even if they did improve the mechanics of it. The first game would allow me to move past most enemies if I reacted fast enough; fighting was always a last resort. Most of the characters in this game are pretty bland and stock, not really worth noting, which is a shame. Because of this, it was a little difficult to get through the story at times. There were several times I found myself working more on the side missions than the main story because I really didn't care what happened to those characters. Speaking of the characters, there isn't a lot of information in the story about why Faith is in the prison at the beginning, it's all pretty vague. The game instead wants you to read outside material where they have released that story, which is annoying. It's not like they give the reasons and the story and you can go out and get more info if you want (See Injustice and the comics that went with that), but instead require that you read their other material to get anything that can be called details.  I also had a problem with the gadgets that Faith acquires in this game, since in the first game (the sequel to this, chronologically) she didn't have any of these things.

Overall, the game shines in it's main focus, the free-running, but it falls short in a couple of other areas.If another title like this comes out it should move back to the option of running past guards like you could do through most of the first game instead of making the fighting a key point to the game. If you liked the first game or want a fun game that allows you to roam some rooftops, this is a fun buy. However, it isn't exactly the best game of 2016 and isn't for everyone. If you pass it up you missed out on some cool moments of running, but not a whole lot else.

I give Mirror's Edge: Catalyst a 6.5 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast